STAFF at a Dorset hospice are preparing to take on a mighty challenge to mark Children’s Hospice Week 2024.

A team from Julia’s House will be running, walking, swimming and cycling 1083 miles over this coming weekend.

The 1083-mile target represents the distance from the Julia’s House hospice in Corfe Mullen to every one of the families in Dorset who are supported by the charity.

Seventeen members of staff including carers, nurses, administrators and IT, have been training hard to prepare for the challenge, which they hope will raise £5,000 for the hospice.

They will be beginning their challenge at 9am on Saturday at BH Live in Corfe Mullen, making use of the gym and pool, and finishing at the Julia’s House hospice at 5pm on Sunday.

Julia’s House senior care administrator, Michelle Lewis, said: “I had the idea for this challenge a couple of years ago but was injured until now.

“I really wanted to get three things from the challenge, firstly to highlight the distance we cover to provide our amazing respite care to the families we support across the county and vice versa when they come to the hospice for care sessions.

"Secondly, to give staff members some form of health and wellbeing time to help train for the event and it has done just that - we have joined gyms, gone to workout classes together, got back in the pool and lots more activities as well.

"Most importantly, it has given us all a sense of team ethos outside of work and we have had great fun doing it."